Lebanon’s PM-designate Nawaf Salam promises to ‘rescue, reform and rebuild’

As Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam begins the process of forming a government in a country with deep religious divisions, he says: 'I am not of those who exclude but those who unite' [Anwar Amro/AFP]

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Nawaf Salam, has pledged to “rescue, reform and rebuild” the crisis-hit country, and he has extended an olive branch to Hezbollah, which did not back his nomination.

In his first speech in the role on Tuesday, Salam said he was reaching out across the political spectrum after winning the backing of more than half of Lebanon’s parliamentarians.